Development challenges and national strategies

Located on the north eastern coast of South America with a landmass of 214,969 square kilometers, Guyana has an estimated population of 736,000 persons as of 2008, which is mostly concentrated in a narrow coastal belt bordering the Atlantic Ocean that only occupies about 10 percent of Guyana’s land space. According to recent figures approximately 76.7 percent of Guyana’s land surface is covered by dense forest, where scattered communities of the native Amerindian population are located. A notable characteristic of Guyana’s small population is that it is composed of six different ethnic groups, the largest of which are those of East Indian descent, about 43.4 percent of the population, and Afro-Guyanese who make up about 30.2 percent. The other main groups are mixed race (16.7 percent), native Amerindians (9.2 percent) and the Chinese, Europeans and others totaling the remaining 0.3 percent.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions